Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, 47th Congressional District

The first congress did was renew the SCHIP which is a Healthy Families bill that provides health care for low to moderate income family children. Following that the congress passed the equal pay law that cracks down on gender based discrimination at the workplace. 111th Congress then went on to pass the Stimulus Package to recover the economy. This stimulus package gives 95% of American people tax breaks and tax credits for new homes, new green energy and university etc. One third of the stimulus package went to individual states. In California for example that stimulus money went to K-12 public education system. This kind of funding by the federal government for states public school was unheard of but it was necessary as Sacramento was in a budget crisis which was forcing it to shut down schools and give teachers the pink slip. The stimulus money for California was also alotted for better transportation, most importantly high speed rail system which will connect Anaheim to San Francisco. Other stimulus money was alotted to California public university research programs.

Then the 111th Congress went on to pass the health care reform bill. This new bill makes sure that there is no gender discrimination in health care premiums. Before this bill was instituted insurance companies charged women more than men for health insurance because have a “pre-existing condition” known as child bearing. Furthermore, the new bill insures that no one will be dropped by their healthcare provider for a pre-existing condition. In addition to that, the new law will make sure that more uninsured people get the health care insurance they need so that they do not have to visit the emergency rooms which are the most expensive. Over the next three years many things in the health care reform bill will have to be finalized. Little kinks will come up as the bill is put into action across the nation.

Next on the table for the 111th Congress is Financial reform. The Senate and the Congress bills for financial reforms have to be merged and passed. Congresswoman declared that she will get the bill to include something for small business owners in the system. Right now, small businesses in American have a very hard time borrowing money for their businesses. Normally these business owners would have been able to borrow money for their business against their homes but now that home prices have plummeted and banks have made credit tighter and tighter money is not available for small business investment. Congresswoman Sanchez wants to make sure that there is a provision for small business owners.

With this the Congresswoman wrapped her speech. The speech was followed by a question and answer session and refreshments.